Heartland Park Announces Road Course Configuration
Changes
For Immediate Release
Heartland Park Announces Road Course Configuration Changes
TOPEKA, Kan. (April 23, 2007) - Heartland Park Topeka announced today
several changes to the course layout of the 2.5-mile configuration
utilized for the SCCA National Championship Runoffs(r) Presented by
AT&T.
Two sections of the race track, including turns one, two and eight, will
be modified prior to the 2007 Runoffs, held Oct. 8-14.
The turn one-two complex will become faster, with wider radius turns to
encourage side-by-side racing while making it less probable for cars to
run off course. The higher speeds into turn three will also open up the
corner entry for out-braking maneuvers.
Turn Eight will no longer be a hard braking zone, with a gradual bend to
the left before feeding into the right-hand Turn Nine. This section of
the course is expected to be much faster. Turn 10 will become a heavier
braking zone due to increased speeds out of Turn Nine.
"The new course changes will accomplish several goals. It will create
faster average lap speeds, faster overall speeds, at least one very
fast, 'signature' corner and address two problem areas where cars would
frequently leave the course and bring debris back on the track surface,"
Heartland Park Topeka Owner Raymond Irwin said. "Both sections will be
at least one gear higher, and the Turn Eight-Nine section will be very
fast, requiring both skill and courage, not unlike The Kink at Road
America."
"Raymond Irwin and Heartland Park Topeka have listened to its customers
and taken a course of action that they feel best addresses the feedback
from the 2006 event," SCCA President and CEO Jim Julow said. "While the
changes are minor in comparison to the complete renovation of the
facility completed in 2006, we expect them to have a major positive
impact on the racing."
Construction will begin this summer and, while Irwin does not rule out
the possibility of completion before late-summer events, it is expected
that the new changes will be run for the first time during the Oct. 1-7
test week leading up to the Runoffs.
The SCCA National Championship Runoffs(r) Presented by AT&T, The
Pinnacle of American Motorsports, will crown Sports Car Club of
America's Club Racing National Champions for the 44th-consecutive year
in 2007. More than 700 of the best amateur drivers from across North
America convene on Heartland Park Topeka's 2.5-mile road course each
fall in what is considered the "Olympics" of motorsports.
Heartland Park Topeka, a multi-purpose racing facility located in
Topeka, Kan., annually hosts NHRA POWERade drag racing, Sports Car Club
of America (SCCA) and many other pro and amateur drag racing, road
racing and dirt racing events throughout the race season.
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Attached: Plans for new configuration changes at Heartland Park Topeka.
_______________________
Eric Prill
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Sports Car Club of America
SCCA Pro Racing/SPEED World Challenge
785-357-7222, 785-232-7228 fax
800-770-2055 toll free
785-250-7920 mobile
eprill@scca.com
www.scca.com <http://www.scca.com> , www.world-challenge.com
<http://www.world-challenge.com/>
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